Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
by Madam Mare
Summary: When they were both breathless and Eve was partially pinned against the arm of the couch with a flushed face, she wrapped her legs around his waist and tugged him closer to her by his ascot. But before their lips could meet, she playfully pushed him back and asked, "So, can I get my other present now?"


XXXX

"Who wants to go first?" Cassandra was nearly bouncing with excitement as she joined everyone around the small Christmas tree in the Annex.

"How about we start oldest to-" Ezekiel began before Jenkins cut him off.

"Don't even think about finishing that sentence."

Ezekiel smirked.

"I'll hand mine out first," Jake offered as he gathered up a few presents from under the tree and began to hand them out. Once everyone had theirs, they began to unwrap them.

"Jake, its beautiful! Thank you!" Cassandra exclaimed upon opening her gift and seeing a beautiful charm bracelet.

Jake gave her a smile and then watched the others opening their gifts. Jenkins was given a book of poetry, Eve and Flynn received a gift certificate to one of their favorite restaurants, and Ezekiel was given the latest Maden game.

"Thanks Mate!"

Jake nodded, "Game tomorrow?"

"You're on! I'll go next."

Ezekiel handed out his gifts and Eve gave him a playful warning look, "None of these better be stolen."

"Scouts honor, they were not," he replied solemnly, his cheeky grin giving him away.

"Like you were ever a scout?" Flynn kidded.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Ezekiel waved his hands, urging them to hurry up and open their gifts.

The group tore into their presents, and were touched by the thought that the youngest member of their ragtag group had put into their gifts. Jenkins was given a framed quote reading, "Never shall a man take me hence but only he by whose side I ought to hang; and he shall be the best knight of the world." with an illustrated sword below it, Jake received a book on the history of art in the 1800s, Cassie got a necklace with a pendant for chemical symbol for Serotonin dangling from it, and Flynn and Eve were given a very nice bottle of wine and a set of etched wine glasses.

Heartfelt thank you's were exchanged, and Cassandra handed out her gifts next.

Jake received a signed copy of The Curatorial Avant-Garde: Surrealism and Exhibition Practice in France, 1925-1941, Jenkins was gifted a beautiful painting of the Knights of the Round Table, Eve and Flynn were given a certificate for a couples massage, and Ezekiel opened Mario Kart 8 and saw the challenge in Cassandra's eyes.

"Princess Peach is going down!" he tipped the video game in her direction.

"Not if Toad gets to you first!" Jake broke in.

Jenkins quickly gathered his gifts to hand out before the boys started bickering about who would best who.

Cassandra teared up and flung her arms around the startled caretaker when she opened her gift to reveal a beautiful sculpture of The Hope Tree.

"Never give up hope," he whispered in her ear.

She nodded, swiping at her eyes and then turned to watch the others open their gifts.

Jake got a subscription to Art History, Ezekiel was given Fallout 3, and Flynn received a new adventure bag.

"Please throw that old ratty one away," he said dryly in Eve's direction.

Eve nodded, stifling her laugh as she opened her gift. She gasped when she saw the small pendant nestled in tissue paper.

"Jenkins…" she trailed off, unsure of what to say.

He just nodded kindly in her direction.

Flynn helped her remove the pendant and clasp it around her neck. He held it between his thumb and forefinger looking at it, before meeting her eyes. "Saint Raphael, Patron Saint of guardian angels."

Eve closed her fingers over his and rested her forehead against his own.

Ezekiel suddenly cleared his throat, breaking their moment.

"Right, uh, I'll just," Flynn stammered, suddenly remembered that they weren't alone, getting to his feet to collect the gifts that he and Eve had wrapped earlier in the day and handed them out.

Eve had also collected a small package from under the tree while Flynn was handing the others out. Jenkins and the LITs began to open their gifts while Flynn sat back down and handed Eve an envelope. "Your real present is at home," he said quietly.

Eve smiled, taking the envelope and handing him a package. "So is yours."

The quickly unwrapped their gifts. Eve's eyes light up when she saw two tickets to see The Lion King the following week when it was in town.

"Thank you," she cupped his cheek.

"You're welcome," Flynn could have lost himself in her eyes, but she was urging him to open his own gift.

"This way you are a little more prepared when I'm not there," Eve said dryly once he opened it, though her expression revealed her true concern.

"I've been more careful lately," he looked up from the Leatherman multi tool. "But thank you, it's perfect," he leaned over to kiss her.

"I know," she said when they parted. "I just-"

"Worry."

"Yeah," she felt him squeeze her fingers reassuringly, and then they turned to watch the others finish opening their gifts.

They gave Ezekiel a gift card to the Microsoft store. They were sure all of the LITs would reap the benefits of that gift. Jenkins was given a painting of The Holy Grail, Jake got the hardcover edition of The Colors of the New World: Artists, Materials, and the Creation of the Florentine Codex, and Cassandra was given a stone necklace with Euler's number etched into it.

Thank you's were passed around by all, and after a bit more small talk, everyone packed up their gifts, and with quick exchanges of Merry Christmas, were all on their way home.

XXXX

Upon arriving home, Flynn and Eve deposited their gifts on the small coffee table in their living room, and while Eve disappeared to the kitchen to start the tea kettle, Flynn turned on the Christmas tree lights and a few lights throughout the apartment. When she rejoined him in the living room, she had two steaming mugs of chamomile in her hands. They sat together on the couch, Eve turning so her back was against the arm, and swung her legs up onto his lap.

"Merry Christmas Flynn," she cuddled in close to him.

"Merry Christmas Eve."

They sat in comfortable silence, sipping their tea and just enjoying being near each other. When their mugs were empty, Flynn placed them both on the coffee table and stretched to reach a few small packages from under the tree.

He placed them in her lap and absentmindedly massaged her calves while she opened her gifts.

The first package revealed a gorgeous leather holster, and when she opened the next one she was hit by the delicious aroma of gourmet Bali coffee beans.

"My favorite," she inhaled deeply.

She had first experienced the rich coffee on one of their first adventures together so it held a special place in her heart.

Tearing the paper from the last box revealed an Alex and Ani box. She popped off the lid and examined the bangle inside. A golden charm with a cluster of swords dangled from the bracelet.

"Seven swords, one for each of the archangels. They symbolize protection, and together they ignite the power to love without fear," he told her as she slid it over her wrist.

"You memorized that from the card, didn't you?" she shot him a knowing look.

"Yeah," he blushed.

"Thank you Flynn, it's perfect. I love it. I love you."

He gently kissed the tip of her nose, "Love you too."

Eve regretfully swung her legs off of his lap, and collected the gifts that she had placed under the tree for him. She noticed one remaining large box and eyed it curiously before rejoining him on the couch.

"That one you have to open last," he said when he noticed her looking at the package.

"Well in that case," she plucked an envelope from his small pile of presents with a sly grin. "you have to open this one last."

"Fair enough," he laughed and began to unwrap his gifts. Upon opening the first box, he found a tea sampler with several different kinds of chamomile tea, and a new tea infuser in the shape of a robot. The second, slightly larger and heavier package contained the hardcover book Tutankhamen and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs. He flipped through the pages with excitement before turning to the last box before the envelope. Inside was a beautiful red silk ascot. He ran his fingers over the soft material before pulling her in for a kiss.

"Now for your real present," she presented him with the envelope, a look of nervous excitement on her face.

Flynn wasted no time in carefully tearing the envelope open, his jaw dropping when he examined its contents. "We're going to the Caribbean?" he looked up from the airline tickets in disbelief.

She grinned and nodded, "We are over due for a non adventuring vacation, don't you think?"

"Way over due," he agreed, peppering her face with playful kisses.

When they were both breathless and Eve was partially pinned against the arm of the couch with a flushed face, she wrapped her legs around his waist and tugged him closer to her by his ascot. But before their lips could meet, she playfully pushed him back and asked, "So, can I get my other present now?"

"Uh huh," he dropped his head to her shoulder, his slight stubble scratching pleasantly across the sensitive skin of her neck. With a final kiss, he sat up, pulling her with him and handed her the box.

She was surprised that despite its size, it was fairly lightweight when he placed it on her lap. She eagerly tore into the wrapping paper to the plain cardboard box beneath. Eve pulled the lid off and paused when she came upon another box, neatly wrapped inside. She playfully rolled her eyes in his direction and pulled the box out to unwrap it. When she again opened the box to reveal another slightly smaller, neatly wrapped box inside, she huffed and shot him a serious side eye when he looked all too pleased with himself. She repeated the process three more times, each glare she shot his way getting a little darker, and his smirk just kept getting bigger.

"Flynnnnnnn," she all but whined as she opened the next box to reveal another box. She chucked the now empty box in his direction which he batted away with a smug grin.

"You're almost to the end," he assured her.

Flynn's idea of almost meant four more progressively smaller boxes. When they were surrounded by mounds of wrapping paper, along with enough boxes to build a fort, and Eve didn't think she could possibly unwrap anything else, she tore the paper away from the tiny box in her hand to reveal a small velvet clamshell box.

Eve's heart skidded to a halt, before jumpstarting again, smashing wildly against her ribcage when she looked from the box, to Flynn's face, and then back to the box again.

Her mouth went dry as she ran a shaking finger over the soft coating, trying to remind herself to breath.

"Go ahead and open it."

She could hear the nervous shake in Flynn's voice and when she looked up, he was licking his lips apprehensively.

Eve cracked the box open and gasped. Her eyes instantly filled with tears as she stared down at the ring, sparkling against its velvet backdrop. The center stone was a large yellow diamond, surrounded by two rows of round white diamonds leading halfway down the band.

"It's not too soon, is it? Oh God, it is. It's too soon. I'm sorry, I just-" he was cut off by Eve flinging herself against him, lips finding his immediately. His lips were slick pressing against her own dry lips and when he sucked her bottom lip between his own she felt herself melt into him.

"Is that a yes?" His breath was ragged when he pulled back slightly to meet her half-lidded eyes.

"Of course it's a yes," she mumbled between kisses, sliding the ring onto her left ring ringer, then tangled her hands in his hair, tugging him close again.

"Good, thats good," he whispered against her skin, settling his hands on her hips.

"Shut up and kiss me, Librarian."

So he did.

XXXX  
Finis

*Written for the prompt: "I did that annoying thing where I put loads of smaller boxes inside one big box and you're getting really mad but you don't know that the ring is in the smallest box and I can't wait to see your face."


End file.
